The book Things Fall Apart was largely inspired by a guy by the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo, a renowned leader in his tribe Umuofia, is afraid of following in his father's footsteps. Since his father was a slacker, Okonkwo established his name and his home at a young age. His diligence earns him money and success, which leads to the marriages of three women and many children. When he is forced to adopt a son whom he loves more than he loved his son, his life takes a turn for the worse. Eventually, the Oracle states that his adopted son has to be killed, but Okonkwo must not be part of the murder. He disobeys this command, and he slashes him with a machete. His life begins to change for the worst, and eventually, he is banned from the village, and he leaves for his mother's village. In the long run, missionaries come to their village, and one wrong turn leads to the other after which Okonkwo commits suicide
In the book Allah is not Obliged; Birahima is a young ten years old boy who eventually loses his mother. He is a brave and blameless kid who decides to move out in search of his aunt in the company of his uncle. They are caught up in the middle of West Africa's brutal warfare where Birahima is recruited as a child soldier. He goes on to join the hordes of children who will fight for any faction that would grant the food and shelter. The Novel "Allah is not obliged" is a novel that is termed as being vivacious, hilarious and quite disturbing mainly due to the reality of how children will often be used as soldiers in West Africa
Similarities are established between Okonkwo and Birahima as main characters in the respective books above. These similarities are established from themes evoked to be relative in both reads.
The theme of "struggle between changes"
Okonkwo is a character that brings out a story that is all about change regarding traditional and cultural values. Okonkwo for instance strongly gives resistance to the new religious and political orders. This mainly illuminates his idea of what manliness is. Hence he has no consent or even has tolerance for the missionaries and their belief (Achebe, 2015). According to Okonkwo range and anger is the only emotion that a man should have. On that note we see him lashing out towards his wives and sometimes threatening to kill them if they ever crossed his lines. Things finally begin to change when he adopts a son that he loves more than his own. This is not to say that he will show his love because eventually, he stabs him to prove how strong of a man he is. Change eventually leads to Okonkwo putting a loop around his neck and commits suicide mainly because the kind of change he anticipated would make him a weak man(Achebe, 2015).
Birahima is a ten-year-old boy with a foul mouth that he uses as a way of protecting himself from the harsh lashes of war. He is a young man who saved himself and his uncle by embracing change and becoming a kid soldier. His uncle, on the other hand, used sorcery to have his place and his life in the military camps (Ahmadou, 2007). Birahima grew through the ranks and became a respected part of the kid army from where he used his foul mouth to gain respect. He used this change for his survival in the sense that he has food, shelter, and protection still in their bid to look for his family. Every child recruited in the ranks of the children army was always looking for their families, but in this case, any family would do. A ten-year-old child has quite a limited horizon and minute comprehensive scope of the country's political stature. All in all, he is sarcastic in observing the corruption, violence, and grabs around him. He comes across vicious commanders who hail from the cruelest dictatorships who only believe in their arsenal of the armory. All in all, kids will always be kids, he will see the change, but he and the rest still need care and affection.When one of them is killed or punished, they still have that emotional breakdown. Regarding embracing change, Birahima's voice echoes the need for survival for a better tomorrow. He gives in to change because he has no option and even if he does, it would not lead to him being harmed or his death
The above are these that are established from the two books and how different change could be interpreted. Okonkwo preferred a change regarding how strong he would seem. Change to him only appealed through anger and strength which eventually led to his death by his hand. Birahima is a young man who saw strength through embracing change to save his life along with his uncles. As much as he was looking for family, he did so in such a way that did not involve his death. He showed his strength through being a child soldier looking for survival. There is a significant difference between the two characters as much the backdrops are politically bound with almost the same choices.
Both the two African novels narrate the stories of two different characters that at some points seem to be having similar goals to achieve in life. Okonkwo, the main character in things, is depicted to always trying not to be as his father who was nobody in the society. On the other hand, Ibrahim who is the main character in Allah is depicted to playing the role of a child soldier immediately he leaves his village to go and visit his aunt. He persuades the leader of the militia to take him as a soldier at the age ten years. The two novels both written in the African set up try to give a true picture of African culture, childhood tribulations, identity, violence and ambivalence. The theme of traditions come out apparently in the two novels for instance, in things fall apart, the Igbo customs and traditions are highly stylized and even the words uttered when offering particular sacrifices are In line with the customs and traditions. According to the book, men are wearing bracelets in their ankles. Similarly in Allah is not obliged when the soldiers are going to war we are told that Birahima's uncle would perform a witchcrafts on them so that they don't get injured during the war which later turned to be not helping.Even though this two are two different books written with ton different re-known African writers, the themes seem to be very similar and contrasting in a smaller portion which is compressible considering they share the same African setup. Similarly, the God is not obliged, when a child soldier dies, the entire camp mourns, and this shows the emotional attachment they shared as a family. This plays out the role of a family during sorrow and sadness and shows that a family is united and when one dies the rest feel sad. It is appalling to see the soldiers mourning, but that is an aspect of a family.
Also according to things fall apart, there is the theme of reputation. Men get reputation by wearing ankle bracelets which shows the number of titles they have been accorded. Mainly, men get a reputation through the acts of bravery in battles, wrestling skills and working hard which is seen through the size of their yam harvest.
The of gender
One of the most prominent themes in these two books by two different authors is gender. In things fall apart, the traditional life of the Igbo captured is more of gender roles. Majorly, their life is gendered from agriculture to the characterisations of crimes. Men are not allowed to grow particular crops likewise women are not allowed to grow specific crops. Though women are the weaker sex, they are respected since they are the mothers and give birth to the future, and that quality makes them worthy of worship. The primary role of women is: to be a virgin as he waits for the honourable man to marry her, secondly is to be a wife that is submitting to her husband and third and also most importantly is to give birth to the future generation. On the other hand, the ideal man should provide for his family and even offer protection to his family and the community at large. The main character Okonkwo is exceptionally concerned with being masculine and seems to her no regards for anything feminine which renders him unbalanced. In this book, the theme of gender is centred on the idea of balance between masculine and feminine forces-emotionality and rationality, mind, soul and body, father and mother. Comparatively, in the book Allah is not obliged, gender plays the role of protecting the community at times of war, and the society does not care whether you are a boy or a man. According to the book, Ibrahim joins the militia at the age of ten to fight makes us wonder whether the society is bringing up the boy child to be violent or the society should bring up a child with the qualities that are likeable and help them survive in future.
The family also becomes one of the most significant themes in these two books. In things fall apart, the Igbo, which are the tribe where the main character belongs, few ideas are forming the basis of an ideal family, and these are mutual respect for each other, honour and embrace for all forefathers and unity. A father not only provides for his family but also defends his honour and teachers his son's good characters and survival skills for future preparation. The mother's responsibility is to respect and please her husband and also to bear more and healthy children. On the other, since children are the inheritors of the future they are raised to continue the values of the older generation. Family unity emerges to be the most fundamental bit of the society, and structurally it can be expanded to fit a whole community. Eventually, reputation would earn those positions of power and influence in the community, and they would also be allowed to marry as many wives as they want. Okonkwo, the main character in this novel, is so much in pursuit of reputation because he grew up with a father who had no any other reputation apart of being lazy and humiliating. He works tirelessly to make sure he doesn't become of his father's character when he grows up, by proving his bravery and strength in any opportunity that comes his way. Likewise, the gods are not obliged; the child soldiers fight so hard to become the head of their camps even at a very tender age. Birahima becomes the leader of his camp at one point, and suddenly after the death of some soldiers under him, he finds himself under another leader. Apparently, the leadership comes with a reputation, and for one to be chosen as a leader, he must have the qualities that make him or her respected.
Also in things falls apart the main character who is Okonkwo fears for so many things. He fears growing up and becoming lazy like his father, Ekwefi also fears to lose her daughter, and Nwoye fears his father anger. Unlike other characters that fear events that are outside their control, Okonkwo is wrestling with a pricking worry about himself and his identity. He does not manage to control his fear, and this dominates him and dictates his actions. For instance, he clobbers his wife abuse and alienates his oldest some and also takes part in the unreasonable killing of his adoptive son. All over the novel, fear leads to negative behaviours that traditionally can bring the wrath of gods and also the community disapproval. On the other hand in the gods are not obliged, the child soldiers are engulfed with fear when they see their fellow dead after the war. They realise that death is real and even though some of them enjoy being soldiers, it is painful to die of bury your friend of a fellow soldier. Fear also grips Birahima, when he buries his mother and decides to go and stay with his aunt. The theme of religion also plays a significant role in every day's life in the book things fall apart. The Igboh gods are mostly am a sign of nature and elements that affect them directly. They worship the goddess, and everyone is always careful not to sin against her for fear of her wrath that might wipe out the entire generation. Similarly, in the gods are not obliged, the theme of religion manifests when the soldiers believe that Birahimas uncle has a magic that protects them from their enemies during the war though also the main belief in this book is Islam and even the name birahima is a Muslim name.
Conclusion
The above is an essay that stipulates the difference regarding the aspects in the struggle for change. Okonkwo from the novel "things fall apart" is a man who is court up in his idea of masculinity as a man. His idea of strength ends up hurting his family and eventually himself when he takes his own life. He does not want to embrace the change brought by the missionaries in the sense that their beliefs will make him a weak man.
Birahima, on the other hand, is in the struggle with the change in the sense that he takes up the turn and becomes a kid soldier. He shows his masculinity by looking for shelter, food, and clothing in the best way that he can see. In this case, it would be to embrace the AK47 and shoot when commanded. Change is inevitable though the two characters have strange ideas of how change should be used and adopted.
The struggle for change among the characters proves that there can be two different solutions to one problem that will in one way built or destroy the choice makers.
Bibliographies
Achebe, Chinua. 2014. Things fall apart. Oxford: Heinemann Educational.
Ahmadou Kourouma. 2011, Allah is Not Obliged. Retrieved from: https://www.africabookclub.com/?p=4639
Ahmadou Kourouma's . 2007. Allah is not obliged. Retrieved from: http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/book-review/ahmadou-kouroumas-allah-is-not-obliged
Chinua Achebe, 2015. Things fall Apart
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/themes.html
Kourouma, Ahmadou. 2006. Allah is not obliged. New York: Anchor Books. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=744990.
